


The Return of the Shining Wire

by GhostHoarder



Category: Watership Down (Cartoon 2018), Watership Down - Richard Adams
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-01
Updated: 2019-09-01
Packaged: 2020-10-04 15:35:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20473394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GhostHoarder/pseuds/GhostHoarder
Summary: In an alternative outcome where Silverweed is unable to save Hana, Silverweed grows into a strong, healthy buck, no longer plagued by the constricting hold Cowslip's warren once had on him. But that doesn't mean Cowslip has forgotten about him, and with the rebellion that became redstone warren still a fresh wound on Cowslip's pride, he executes a plan to get his favorite poet back.Unaware of this sinister plot, a group of young hlessi find their way onto the haven that is Watership down, pursued by a pack of dogs. A few of the newcomers are familiar faces to Hazel and his owsla- all except for one. An antisocial doe named Thorn arrives alongside them, and she has a few secrets that may need looking into.





	1. New Arrivals

It had been a few moons since Silverweed had become a part of Watership Down. there was never a day that passed that he regretted it, and the memories from The Warren of the Shining Wire were nothing more than the remnants of a vivid nightmare, along with Woundwort and Darkhaven. At Watership Down, Silverweed could almost pretend that he was… normal.  
Fiver had not been bothered by visions in ages, and the days were peaceful, with nothing worse than good natured pranks between the Owsla, and a few sightings of Elil.  
The young sleek grey buck took a deep breath of the clear air and exhaled in a sigh.  
There was still a slight hang of loss in his heart, however, like a prickle of some sort.  
If it were not for Hana… none of this peace would have been possible.  
Silverweed stretched out and shook his coat, looking up at the sky. Had it been really so long since the sky had turned black and Woundwort and his army had been dragged away by a power that was not of nature?  
Had it been so long since Hana had passed away?  
He sighed again, and shook his head, making a few jumps along the hill. He had grown since then. In maturity, in wisdom, and physically as well. He was no longer a small runty rabbit with a sickly complexion. He was still long and thin, but he was taller now, as tall as Dandelion. He and Fiver had once been eye-to-eye but now he towered over his mentor like a young sapling. His muscles were now more firm from training in the junior Owsla. He was older than Pipkin, but he hadn’t exactly had an early start.it had taken a lot of work to catch up to that, after all, fighting had never been necesarry in Cowslips warren.  
It wasn’t as necessary at Watership Down, but it was never good to be idle, in case a real threat did emerge. 

“Oi! Weed!” 

Silverweed gasped, pulled out of a daydream, and shot up, looking over his shoulder. Hawkbit bounced over to him lazily, a brow raised in amusement.

“Got ants in your tail?” Hawkbit snarked. “You’re coming with me on a scouting patrol remember?”

“Oh… yes. I remember. Silverweed rubbed his neck sheepishly. “I was just… enjoying the morning.”

“Well you can enjoy it while you’re on patrol.” Hawkbit sniffed, with a twitch of his ear. 

“You sound like bigwig.” Silverweed laughed, following after the stockier buck. He glanced around and lit up at the sight of a small bird twittering around in the sky. 

“Would have been with Dandelion but he opted for digging with the does today.” Hawkbit ignored him, keeping his eyes ahead. Hawkbit never had been one to care about the prettier things in life. 

“Maybe he wanted to flirt with someone?” Silverweed offered, slightly pleased with himself for understanding what that meant. He hadn’t been old enough or really of the right mind to think about things like mates and that sort of thing. It was odd that he could be aware of it now. The bird above was joined by another and the pair danced together in the sky, bursting the morning with their song. There might be some sort of poem in that. 

“Whatever.” Hawkbit shrugged. “His loss.” 

“You’ve got clover.” Silverweed felt a little disappointment when the birds flew off into the distance, out of sight. “How is she doing?”

“Bigger than ever.” Hawkbit sounded slightly proud, his chest fur puffing a little. “Finished digging the new burrow not too long ago. What with her size now maybe we should make it bigger.”

“Must be exciting. Becoming a dad.” Silverweed mused. A cloud above resembled a flower. What type? Daisy? Buttercup?

“Quit mooning will you? You’re not looking where you’re-

Silverweed squealed as his foot fell through a gopher hole and he tumbled head over tail into a pile of old leaves. 

“See?” Hawkbit smirked smugly down at him. “Told you.” 

Silverweed staggered to his paws, covered in leaf mold, his pelt hot with embarrassment, a nervous grin on his face. “S-sorry. I’ll look out next time, I promise.” 

“No you won’t.” Hawkbit snorted, but his voice was good natured enough. “You’re just lucky you’ve got me with you. Doubt you’d survive a tick and a shake if i wasn’t around, would you?” 

“You… may be right.” Silverweed laughed a little, still feeling rather embarrassed.  
“I know i’m right. You need to get your head out of the clouds and quite mooning around like a love-lorn sparrow. It's not healthy to always be in your head.”

“I’ll be like you then.” Silverweed offered enthusiastically. “I won’t use my head.”

Hawkbit let out a noise between a growl and a groan and hopped a little faster. 

“Wait a shake…” Silverweed stopped. He felt… odd. As though something was gripping his chest. 

“What?” Hawkbit looked at him impatiently. 

“Do you smell… dog?” Silverweed lifted his head to sniff the air. His chest hurt as though it were being pressed into the dirt. 

Hawkbit sniffed the air immediately, hair standing up. “I don’t smell anything.” his ears were pricked alert. “Are you sure?” 

“I… I think so.” 

“You either think or you know!”

“I- I- I know! I know I smell dog. But it's faint.”

“We should report it then.” Hawkbit turned and bounded back toward the warren. “No messing around if you’re smelling a dog! Come on!” 

****

“What do we do?” 

The fear in the small hole was stifling, to the point Thorn could barely breath. She felt as though she were dying, and the smell of blood didn’t help her senses. 

“Oh please FRITH.” Songbird whimpered, trembling weakly, her pelt hot against Thorns as she shook like a leaf. “We’re trapped. Oh Frith we’re-

“Stuff it, the pair of you.” Briars pained voice snapped from the very back of the hole. Blood trickled down the rips in her leg, and she winced in pain. Thorn felt her own leg stinging and burning and winced with her. “Panicking won’t fix anything, and they can hear you.”

The foul breath of the dog as it panted hotly was present as the three does hid in the narrow hole. A loud, thunderous growl echoed above. 

“They’ll try to dig us out.” Thorn said, her ears flattening as she tried to fight through the stifling fear and pain to find a cognitive thought. “Should we start digging deeper?”

“It's rock everywhere.” Briar sneered. “We won’t get far.” 

“Where are Oak and Brush?” Songbird whispered, her fur on end. 

“Pretty sure they went into another one of the holes.” Thorn reassured her. “Briar, stop it! We can’t give up.”  
“What else are we going to do then?” Briar curled up into a tighter ball. “Fight them? Bet you could get a good bite in that one's nose before it rips you into shreds.” 

“Well-

“Honestly Thorn! You’re smaller than any of us, Songbird has trouble running because of the scars in her side, and my legs shot! There is no chance! We can’t fight and we can’t run.”

“We can toss you out so the dog will eat you and we can make a run for it.” Thorn snapped back. “And if I wasn’t smaller than you, I would do it!” 

“That's enough, both of you!” Songbird wriggled between them. “This isn’t helping!” 

“Hullo?”

They all paused as a muffled voice echoed in the rocks. Thorn pricked her ears and squirmed down the narrow tunnel, sniffing nervously. 

“Hello?” she called back. Briar and Song held their breaths, ears pricking in alertness. “Is that you, Oak?”

“Its Brush, actually.” the voice called from a narrow space in the rocks, and Thorn could see the thin harlequins muzzle. 

“I’m here too.” Oak added from further in the hole, sounding indignant.  
A loud bark echoed down the space and the furious sounds of scratching. 

“We’re alright, but the other dog is blocking the hole.” one of the twins informed them. 

“Same problem here.” Thorn brought her nose close to the hole, feeling it with her whiskers. “One of you, help me widen this hole… quickly.”

“Right.” 

she and the nearest twin (Brush) got to work at once, scratching the earth. Her thoughts raced. There was a dog on either side of them… both exits blocked. The dogs would be able to dig down to them at any minute so they could not stay there forever. They had hidden in a rock pile and it was difficult to dig in. 

“We have to get both dogs at the same hole.” Thorn said finally. The hole was big enough for a small rabbit like herself to wriggle through. 

“How?” Brush glanced over his shoulder. “And then what? We won’t get far with Primrose injured, and Songbird limps, and you’re too small. We’ve come this far we can’t leave anyone behind.”

“No, you’re right.” Thorn blinked. “But if one of us managed to get the dogs far enough away from the others, you’d all have a chance.”

“Make a sacrifice, eh?” Oak snorted. “I’d be willing to go. But that dog is right on the hole, he’d catch me the second I poked my nose out… there’d be no point.” 

“Not a sacrifice if you’re quick enough.” Thorn said, more to herself than anyone else. The only problem was, where to lead the dogs? 

She remembered there had been a ravine not far from there. If she could run and leap fast enough… she might get the dogs to fall off the edge… or if not that, she’d at least be out of their reach and they’d give up, while the others had enough time to make a run for it. 

She took a deep breath. It would have to be her. The twins might have been better suited for it, but if something happened to one of them, the other would be left alone. She couldn’t do that to them.  
She had no one. She could do it. 

“We… we need to get their attention to one hole…” Thorn slowly began to creep up the narrow tunnel . “they always make a lot of noise, so the other will be alerted.” 

“We should make some noise as well.” Brush offered. “What do you think Oaky, a bit of a thump ought to do it, don’t you think?” 

The whining and scratching above got louder and Thorn felt her heart jump. The stifling fear became more prominent than before, making it hard to breathe, but she now had a plan. That alone was a glimmer of hope, a way to fight back rather than just wait for the inevitable. “Yes, yes, do it then!” she snapped, digging her claws into the earth.  
The two bucks began pounding furiously, as best as they could in the tight spacing. Meanwhile Thorn inched closer, letting the dog catch her scent. She grit her teeth, silently cursing it to start a ruckus, flattening her ears against her skull.  
With a tremendous shriek, the dog, which was a smaller breed than the one that had been on her and the does side of the tunnel, began to bark and yelp excitedly, digging faster. Thorn sighed in relief when she felt the ground vibrate towards the smaller dog, signalling the other was investigating. 

“Right, now what- Thorn- wait, Thorn!” 

Thorn didn’t hesitate. She slipped fast as a fish in water under the bigger harlequin buck and squeezed through the hole, past the prone forms of Songbird and Briar. 

“Once you hear them go after me, start clearing off!” she snapped behind her shoulder. “Head for the high hills, where that beech tree is and don’t stop! I’ll meet you there!” 

“Thorn-

She slipped out the hole and scrambled up the rocks to get a better look. The dogs were snorting and shoving at the other hole where Oak and brush were hiding, pawing at the earth, whining and barking, drool flecking their toothy mouths. She felt her chest clench, but she was out of the tunnel ,free of the stifling fear of the other rabbits. 

“Oi! Thickhead!” she pushed a small stone that clattered down the rocky slope and hit the head of the smaller dog. Both dogs looked up. Thorn tensed. 

With a roar they reacted, jumped, and Thorn turned and repelled herself from the top of the rocks, hitting the ground running, the barks following behind her.  
Frith give my feet wings! She prayed as she fled into the trees. 

***

“Where did you smell the dog then, lad?” Bigwig stood on his haunches, overlooking the wood. Silverweed, Hawkbit, Fiver, and Hazel peered beside him. 

“I… I think it was here.” Silverweed hopped a pace or two ahead, sniffing the air. “I’m sure I smelt it, it just-

He stopped with a slight gasp. He felt strange all of a sudden. There was a prickle in his mind that made him have to catch his breath. There was something wrong, something that made him feel ill. 

“Whats wrong-

Hazel, always quick and aware from being kin to Fiver had just started to take a step towards the young silver buck when suddenly, Fiver shuddered bodily. 

“You… you feel it too.” Fiver whispered, his eyes going wide as he met Silverweeds gaze. 

Silverweed did feel it. He was also smelling dog. It was strong, heavy, pungent. But rotten, like spoiled meat. 

“I smell it again. Only it's worse.” he said, recoiling. 

“So Do I? I-

Fiver suddenly let out a low moan and was shaking again. He shook so hard he couldn’t stand. 

“I don’t smell anything.” Bigwig barked, looking nervous. “I don’t smell a dog.”

“We can’t take any chances.” Hazel crouched beside his brother who was shaking. “Help me get him back to the warren. Tell everyone to stay underground until the Owsla has done a complete search-

Fiver let out a terrifying cry like a wounded animal. 

“That will attract any elil.” Bigwig grunted, pushing his nose under Fiver until the small buck was draped over his shoulders. “Come on, we-

“Look! Down the hill!” Hawkbit suddenly gasped, ears upright and alert in alarm. 

Down at the foot of the hill, there was the forms of three rabbits, making their way steadily up the steep incline. One of the rabbits, apparently a large male, seemed to have something draped over his back. 

“Hlessi?” Hawkbit demanded, staring over the edge. 

“Bigwig, get Fiver back to the warren. Come back with Campion and Spartina.” Hazel turned to the captain of Owlsa, grim faced, fur prickling. “Have Fiver watched, if he’s having a vision I want to know.”

“Got it.” Bigwig said gruffly. “Be back in a tick.” 

“Should we go help them?” Silverweed looked to Hazel. “They’ve got a doe on their backs. She might be sick or injured.”

“Could just be a ploy. Some sort of trick?” Hawkbit frowned. “I don’t want to leave them to die or anything, but-

“But you’ve got kits on the way and any new dangers isn’t something any of us are interested in.” Hazel sighed. “It won’t hurt to talk to them and maybe treat them though. Campion and Bigwig will be here if anything goes wrong. Come on you two.” 

And with that, they began the descent down the hill.  
Inside the Warren, Fiver shuddered violently, before crying out, as Blackberry and Pipkin watched him with worried expressions.  
His words echoed in the burrow, sending a chill through his companions. 

"The wire will come to make its claim!  
Those who were found will be lost again.  
Only two must brave what one had not dared  
Two minds will not once more be ensnared!"


	2. Run Rabbit Run

It was as though the world around Thorn had vanished, and nothing her own speed and flight remained. She could not hear the barks haunting cries of the dogs behind her, but she knew they were there. She did not feel the leaves and branches hitting her pelt as face as she tore through them, but she was still aware of them. She knew, but the blood roared in her ears and her mind raced with its one goal. The one plan. Perhaps if she let go of it she’d give way to fear and panic, but that was not the case. It was a strangely freeing sensation. She had no fear, only purpose. She was sure that if she had ever been put into such a situation that she’d give way to fear easily, but now that she was on the very edge of death, she felt nothing put pure, burning energy.   
Even if I die my friends will still be safe.   
It didn’t really matter now if she reached the gorge or not. The others had long since made it to the beech tree. The gorge was just the destination. It was where the path of her fate would cross and she would know for sure if it was her time to join the warren of the black rabbit, or if she would live to see another sunrise.   
It was then that the edge of the gorge came into view, growing closer and closer. Thorn took a deep breath, and made sure to wait until her paws hit the very edge of the rocky surface, and kicked off, leaping high into the air, towards the small outcrop on the other side. 

***  
At the sight of them, both of the bucks tensed, baring their teeth and growling warningly. The slender blue grey doe cowered behind them her vibrant eyes wide with alarm, ears pricked in alertness. 

“We don’t want any trouble.” one of them growled. 

“But try anything and you’ll get it.” the other one added, standing over the trembling doe protectively, flattening his ears. 

“Yeah.” Silverweed heard Hawkbit mutter under his breath. “I just bet we will.”

Silverweed however, was paying more attention to the doe on the back of one of the Harlequins. He could see dark, clotted blood clumping her leg, and her eyes were sealed shut by moisture. 

“We don’t mean you any harm.” Hazel spoke, his voice stern but reassuring. “We see that you have injured, and we wanted to help. Also there's possibly a dog lose. It would be best for us to lead you to our warren.”

“A dog eh?” one of the twins laughed mirthlessly.

“Fancy that!” the other one added, lip curling.

“Please!” the slender grey doe shoved her way forward, her voice quavering. “We know there's a dog! Briar’s leg was bitten, and another one of our friends is in trouble! You’ve got to help them!”

“How is your friend in trouble?” Hazel asked at once. 

“she's leading the dogs away from us right now. She made it possible for us to escape, and she might be hurt or worse and-

The doe shook her head. “She’s grey brown, small, dark tail and ear tips… she ran in the direction of the woods.” she pointed her paw desperately towards the wooded area. “Something bad could have happened-

“Song?”

Silverweed spoke timidly, his voice weak as he stared blankly at the doe. Her vibrant eyes met his and she stopped, looking at a loss. 

“Silverweed?” she whispered finally, looking as though she’d been hit over the head. 

“Wait, Weed, you know these rabbits?” Hawkbit stared at Silverweed, looking thunderstruck. 

“I know her.” Silverweed hopped a pace or two closer, unblinking, his heart pounding. “She’s my sister.”

They stood nose to nose. Silverweed felt foggy, as though he were dreaming. “But… you were dead. The owl caught you.”

“He dropped me.” Songbird said softly. She reached out shakily and touched her brothers cheeks with her paws. “And you’re still alive. I thought the wire would have taken you eventually.”

Their embrace was not passionate, but soft and cautious, as though both were afraid the other would vanish and be only a memory. Songbirds scent was just as he remembered, her voice just as gentle and sweet. 

“Campion. Bigwig.”

Hazel’s voice pulled Silverweed from his trance and he looked over his shoulder. 

“There's a doe in trouble. Being chased by dogs.” Hazel informed his two captain of Owsla grimly. 

“I can handle it.” Campion offered. “One rabbit may have a better chance than a bunch blundering around.”

“Wot- don’t you trust me?” Bigwig demanded, though he didn’t seem really all that angry. 

“Campion is right. But if you don’t come back I will send someone after you.” Hazel responded. “Look for a small brown doe, and two dogs. Head for the trees.”

“I can lead you there.” songbird piped up, eyes sharp. “I know which direction she went. 

“Alright.” Campion nodded to her. “But once you lead me head back to the hill.”

“But i’ve only just found you again!” Silverweed blocked his sisters way. “You can’t leave again-

“I’ll be back.” Song said reassuringly. “I’m tougher now, don’t worry. I haven’t died yet, I don’t even think the black rabbit wants me.” she flashed him a grin. “I’d get on his nerves, right?”

Silverweed shook as it seemed a younger version of his sister turned to him and said “Don’t worry, the wires won’t get me. The black rabbit wouldn’t want me in his Owsla i’d only get on his nerves after a while.”

“Be CAREFUL.” he said sharply, surprised by the ferocity in his own voice. “Campion, please-

“Don’t worry lad.” Campions voice was kind. “I won’t let anything happen to her.”

“We need to go.” Songbird hopped ahead. “We’re wasting time as it is!” 

***  
Thorn wondered as she soared through the air if this was what birds must feel like. She held her breath as the air rushed around her fur, and the ground fell away. There was nothing but a long drop beneath her, and if she had miscalculated her jump, she would fall.   
Behind her, the large black dog had stumbled to an awkward pause at the edge of the cliff. The dog teetered on the edge, and perhaps would have been fine if the smaller brown and white dog, had not ran straight into it from behind. With a yelp, the large black dog fell down into the gorge.   
Thorn hit the rocky ledge, and stumbled as a sharp pain in her left back foot made her gasp in shock. She had slipped a little and cut her back foot on the sharp edge of a protruding rock.   
She hopped awkwardly in a circle. Her foot didn’t hurt, but she’d felt the sharp edge of the rock. Her heart pounded and she stared at the other side where she’d left the dogs.

The small brown and white dog paced anxiously at the edge of the cliff, whining and scratching at the dirt, looking down the gorge. Thorn crept cautiously to the edge and peered down.   
The large black dog was not dead, but was dragging itself along the ground, both hind legs useless and limp, dragging behind it as it claws at the stony ground.   
Thorn shuddered, wishing that the fall had just killed it. This was much worse a fate, and the dog would probably slowly die of starvation or be killed by something else.   
Thorn glanced across at the smaller dog, as it still whined and paced. She couldn’t go back that way, and she was so tired she didn’t think she could make it a second time even if the path was free. She turned and started hopping along the edge of the gorge again, looking for another way to cross. There was a possibility that it might end up being low or narrow enough for her to get across with less trouble. She felt so… sore and tired. All of the energy she had had before was gone and she was now feeling the pain in her back foot. It stung and burned and she hopped with one foot crooked up in a limp. Her progression was awkward and stumbling, but steady. But she felt so strangely tired all of a sudden, and each step was a struggle. She wanted to lay down and sleep for a while, but she couldn’t do that, not yet. She needed to find better cover for that, and besides, she didn’t want to leave Songbird and the others to worry any longer. 

***  
“This is where she went? You’re sure of that?” 

Songbird felt a little awkward with Campions gruff manner. His appearance did nothing to make her feel any more comfortable, his face was so bare and scarred that he looked like a nightmare rather than a rabbit, but the other, undamaged side of him was handsome. 

“I’m pretty sure. Thorn is clever, so she may have had some sort of plan, because she did ask for us to wait for her at the hill. She must have planned to come back.” Song took a step towards the woods, but was stopped by Campion.

“Sorry, I promised Silverweed I’d keep you safe and the best way for that is to keep you out of harm's way.” he said sternly. 

“But- 

“The longer you argue the more danger your friend might be in.” Campions expression softened. “Trust me.” 

Songbirds ears drooped. “She helped me so much in the past. I can’t just abandon her now.” 

“You’re not abandoning her.” Campion reassured her. “You sent help after her, and I’m sure if you two are close she would prefer you to be safe than throwing yourself in danger after she put all this effort to keep you safe.”

Songbird sighed heavily and nodded. “Alright, I guess.” 

“I know you’re worried.” Campion placed a paw on her shoulder. “But i’m not in the habit of breaking my word.”

Songbird hesitated, but Campion wasn’t having it. He grunted in annoyance and bounded off purposefully into the trees.  
Songbird took a deep breath and headed back towards the hill. 

***  
The sun had begun to set by the time Thorn had found a shallow enough incline to attempt to cross. The descent was easy as to be expected, but climbing up the other side, even if it was shallow, was not, and her smarting foot and exhaustion was not helping the matter.   
She sat down on her haunches and breathed steadily. She wanted to cry, not continue walking, but staying and letting it get dark was not an option.

“Need some help?”  
She stood alert, in time to see a large brown something leap from the top of the ledge and arch over her gracefully, before there was a thud and a large brown buck stood behind her, smiling.   
Thorn recoiled at the sight of him. Half his face was nothing but scarring and half his ear was missing. 

“Who-

“Don’t worry, i’m a friend.” he said with amusement, winking at her before burying his teeth in the scruff of her neck, and with a powerful jump, pulling her up the ledge as though she were no more than a kitten. He was up the ledge in a few short bounds and he placed her gently down on the grass. “You must be Thorn. Your friends sent me to find you.”

He was relieved to have found her, and was worried as well, probably he knew about the dogs.

“Now where are the-

He had stood alert, sniffing, but Thorn interrupted him.

“I left the dogs at the highest part of the gorge. I led them there. The big one fell and i think it's back broke and the little one didn’t have any interest in me after that. I don’t think we’ll have any problems.” she was having trouble catching her breath, and her words slurred as her tongue felt thick and dry.   
He stared at her, one ice blue eye intently on her, annoyed at her and impressed. “Rather resourceful of you. Songbird was right about you. My name is Campion. Captain Campion. I’ll be escorting you to our warren. Your friends are all waiting for you there.”

“That's all well and good.” Thorn could barely stand. “But, my foot… its bleeding.”

“I found you because of your blood trail.” Campion said sympathetically. 

“I need to clean it.” Thorn said breathlessly. “Otherwise i’ll lead elil to your home.” 

“Very well.” Campion eyed her scratched foot thoughtfully. “My mate is a healer. She can give you proper treatment.”

Thorn nodded gratefully, and proceeded to lick at her foot, her chest still heaving. 

***  
“So, do tell us all about yourself.” the tall golden buck called Dandelion demanded, looking at Songbird with peaked interest. “Silverweed said you were supposed to be dead cause an owl got you.”

Songbird laughed awkwardly at the rabbits all gathered around her. They sat in a great hollow expanse, and the roof was held up by the roots of the tree. The “Honeycomb” they called it. It seemed as though most of the warren had turned up to see the newcomers. Brush and Oak were enjoying the attention, nodding and grooming themselves and flexing. Briar had been taken to another quieter burrow to have her leg tended to by a blue grey and white doe named Blackberry.   
Silverweed stuck to her side like he had been covered in honey, and Songbird was glad of his company, even though it had been so long since they had last spoken.

“Well, I’m not dead.” she offered uncomfortably, still laughing a little. “And i’m not that interesting, trust me. I just struggled so much the Owl couldn’t hold onto me, but i got some nasty scars.” she turned to show the large dark marks where no fur would grow again on her right side, all the way down from shoulder to haunch. “I landed and was knocked out, and that's when Thorn, the rabbit your Campion went to look for, found me. She took care of me and let me stay with her. And that's basically all that's happened with me.” 

“You must be very lucky, to survive an Owl.” a small plump, and very pregnant white doe simpered. The dark grey buck known as Hawkbit sat beside her, looking disinterested. 

“No, i think the Owl was too small the catch a rabbit and misjudged its catch.” Songbird explained. “It couldn’t carry me much. It did get me too far away from home though.” 

“Plus the rabbits of Cowslips warren are awfully fat and healthy.” Hawkbit grunted. The doe beside him elbowed him. 

Songbird just laughed. “That is true! I think i lost enough weight myself though since then, at least, I hope that I did!”

“What about the pair of you then?” Hawkbit asked the twins, frowning. 

“Us?” Oak puffed up. “Well, if you must know-

“We were efrafans.” Brush informed them. “Going to be captains in the Owsla, in fact.”

“Only they wanted us in separate marks.” Oak added. “Thought the two of us together might be a threat we expect.”

“Well, we didn’t want that.” Brush nodded in agreement. “So, we took Briar with us, and we escaped. We went into hiding after that, ended up at Thorn and Songbirds burrow and they were nice and hospitable. Heard about Woundwort being gone for good and figured it was about time to find a real home.” 

“Briar is the pretty doe who’s currently incapacitated at the moment.” Oak offered this information, no doubt in case anyone wasn’t aware.

“Escaped efrafa? That is nearly impossible!” Dandelion’s ears pricked in alarm.

“Yes, however did you manage that?” Silverweed asked. 

“That's a story for another day, I think.” Hazel said sternly. “I believe our guests are tired from their journey, and worried about their friend.”

“Not anymore.” Oak said suddenly. “There she is.”

Campion and Thorn walked through the tunnel at that moment, and Songbird jumped to her feet with a gasp of delight and relief. “Thorn!” she squealed. 

“Don’t crowd her, give her some space” Campion barked before all the other rabbits could crowd around in curiosity. Songbird was already at Thorns side, nuzzling her happily.

“You were so brave! I thought I’d never see you again you idiot! Don’t do that to us again!” 

“Song… stop.” thorn mumbled in embarrassment. 

“The dogs won’t be a problem anymore Hazel.” Campion approached Hazel with a glance behind at the reunited does. “Apparently Thorn used a very clever trick on them. They won’t be bothering our Warren. But I’d still keep an eye out, just in case.” 

“Thorn?” Songbird frowned down at her friend. “What did you do?”

“I tricked one into jumping into the gorge is all.” Thorn mumbled. She was sitting in a tight, awkward ball, as though trying to hunch into herself against the sudden onslaught of the presence of so many other rabbits. She was shaking a little bit. 

“The gorge?” Song started in surprise. “You mean the one we had to cross to get here?”

Thorn nodded wearily, her ears twitching spastically in directions of all the voices. “I… I um.. Yeah that.” she blinked nervously around, tense and alert. “Where’s Briar? Is she still…. You know-

“There's a doe called Blackberry seeing to her.” Songbird explained. She was aware of Silverweed hovering around them both a little, looking anxious.

Song glanced around at the prying eyes, before taking a few hops towards Hazel and Campion.

“Would it be alright with you if I lead Thorn to where Briar is? I think she needs a quiet place to rest.” 

“Yes, and she needs that foot looked at as well.” Campion nodded. “Hazel?”

“I don’t mind. You escort them, Campion, and thank you for your report.” Hazel approached Songbird, nodding to her. “I hope that you and your friends can find a home here with us, if you wish it.”

Songbird smiled. “If you would allow it Hazel-rah. If my brother is here then i have every reason to stay. But to be honest, we all set on this journey so that Briar would find her sister.”

“Hang on a tick… did you say Briar?” Campion interrupted, looking startled. 

“Um, yes-

“Is she pale? With a dark brown nose?” 

“Yes, that describes the doe that Blackberry is taking care of right now, why?” Hazel answered before Songbird could say anything. Thorn limped over to them, Silverweed awkwardly trailing behind. 

“You’re afraid Captain Campion.” Thorn spoke up. “Why?” 

Campion stared at Thorn blankly, before he looked back to Hazel. “I would suggest keeping this information from Primrose until I’ve spoken to this doe, Hazel, it would be best for both of them.”

“I don’t understand.” Hazel blinked. 

“Trust me on this. I’ll explain later.” Campion turned to the two does. “I’ll lead you two for the moment, then, shall I?”

Songbird and Thorn looked at each other a moment, and Thorns expression was equally confused as Songbird felt, but they turned to the scarred buck and nodded awkwardly.

“Alright.” Thorn said. “I would like a quiet place, to be honest.” 

“Me too, actually.” Songbird glanced around back at the twins, who were now talking with several eager young bucks. “I think the twins should be fine.” 

Campion just nodded and headed down the tunnel at a pace for them to follow. Silverweed started to follow.

“Song, wait-

“Oh for friths sake- your sister isn’t going to vanish in a puff of smoke, stop following around like a shadow!” Thorn whirled around and snapped at the young silver buck sharply, making him reel back. 

“Thorn!” Songbird gaped at her friend in horror. “What's gotten into you?!” 

Silverweed’s ears were flat, looking confused and hurt and Songbird stared in confusion at Thorn, who was bristling, as though being approached by elil rather than another rabbit. 

“I- I’m sorry, it's just-

Silverweed gulped and tried again. “I didn’t mean to overwhelm you, I just…” he stared in uncertainty at Songbird. “Am I… Am I just in the way?”

“No, of course not.” Songbird said reassuringly, glaring at Thorn. “She’s just prickly around others. Don’t mind her.”

“Silverweed? Whats going on?”

They turned to see a small brown rabbit staring at them, a smaller brown rabbit peeking out behind him. 

“Who are these does?” the bigger of the small rabbits said, looking curiously, and somewhat nervously at Thorn and Song. Song blinked, and then smiled.

“Oh… hello. You must be related to Hazel-Rah. I’m Songbird, and this is my friend, Thorn. Silverweed is my brother.”

“Yes. isn’t it wonderful Fiver? She’s alive and well!” Silverweed piped up, looking at Song as if she were a dream. “I never would have thought it possible.”

“That is great news!” Fiver said happily, looking at Songbird with new interest. “Welcome to Watership Down Song… Silverweed told me about you before.”

“Have you come to stay?” the younger brown rabbit inquired eagerly. “I think you’ll be very happy here. My name is Pipkin.”

“Well, we do hope to stay, but that really is up to your chief.” Songbird explained, laughing a little. 

“Hazel won’t send you away.” Silverweed said. “I’m sure you’ll do well here.”

At that moment, Thorn stiffened, ears upright. 

“Something's going wrong. Briar's angry.” she said darkly, peering down the tunnel. 

“What do you mean? Who’s angry?” Fiver stared at her, looking startled. 

At that moment, there was an angry yell that made everyone in the tunnel freeze.

“YOU! HOW DARE YOU!!!!”


End file.
